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2001

2001

Victoria Chemist

Victoria Chemist, 80-82 High Street, Banstead, Surrey, 2001 • Quite a fancy 1980s-style frontage for a chemist (and named after me, always a good thing). It’s still there, double the […]
Victoria Chemist

2001

Cafe Restaurant

Cafe Restaurant, 25 St Cross Street, Borough of Camden, London EC1, 2001 • Wonderful old Italian caff shot with dreadful old digital camera – both long gone. According to a […]
Cafe Restaurant

2001

Rene Hair Fashions

Rene Hair Fashions, 111 Essex Road, Borough of Islington, London N1, 2002 • Classic 1960s weatherboard sign with 071 number. It disappeared soon after, and by 2017 the unit housed […]
Rene Hair Fashions

2001

Station Cars

Station Cars, Station Road North, Merstham, Surrey, 2001 • Taxi rank or murder hut? Hard to tell, because the windows are blocked with taxi parts. Demolished sometime after 2008.
Station Cars

2001

Cardshops

Cardshops, 43 Oxford Street, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001, 2003 • Shabby souvenir shop in prime West End, pictured in 2001 and 2003 (bottom). By 2017 it had become […]
Cardshops

2001

Happy Swan

Happy Swan, 39 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Borough of Croydon, London, 2001 • Classic plastic sign and festive plant hierarchy in window. Still exactly the same in 2017 (minus Christmas […]
Happy Swan

2001

Shortlands

Shortlands, 34 High Street, Banstead, Surrey, 2001 • Old-school shoe shop rationing the Christmas lights. Still exists 2017, and also has a branch in Cobham. The 1970s logo has been “modernised” […]
Shortlands

2001

Marcel

Marcel, 31 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Borough of Croydon, London CR5, 2001 • Plucky festive cheer within peeling facade. Looks like a restaurant but, as its name suggests, is a […]
Marcel

2001

Taylor’s

Taylor’s, 21 High Street, Merstham, Surrey, 2001 • Industrial festive cheer, part 2. This is a removals and storage business, which is still there.
Taylor’s

2001

Peter Dicker

Peter Dicker, 3 Alma Parade, 108 Chaldon Road, Caterham, Surrey, 2001 • Final closure for a trad green greengrocer which, along with neighbour Avery Butcher, got replaced by a beauty […]
Peter Dicker

2001

Avery Butchers

Avery Butchers, Peter Dicker, 2-3 Alma Parade, 106-108 Chaldon Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • A shop Local campaign that clearly failed. Both parts (Avery at left & Dicker at […]
Avery Butchers

2001

Adana

Adana, 162 Grays Inn Road, Borough of Camden, London WC1, 2001 (top two images) & 2013. Beautiful art deco glass sign for Adana, a make of printer. It was retained […]
Adana

2001

Radio Contact Service

Radio Contact Service, 12 The Parade, A217, Burgh Heath, Banstead, Surrey, 2001 • Tiny Christmas tree in stark industrial-style windowlet, an engineer’s attempt at festivity that resembles a contemporary art installation. The frontage was […]
Radio Contact Service

2001

Blends

Blends, 16 High Street, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • Aaah, net curtains, condensation and fairy lights – essence of Christmas caff past. The business is still there, but the net is not.
Blends

2001

L. Fern & Co.

L. Fern & Co., 27 Rathbone Place, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001 • Oh, if only I had taken more than one snatched shot of this venerable coffee merchant, here sporting […]
L. Fern & Co.

2001

The Old Calcutta

The Old Calcutta, 64a Brixton Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • Old-school pink Indian; sadly this ornate style seems to have fallen from favour. It’s now the blank-faced Oval […]
The Old Calcutta

2001

Robert I. Perry

Robert I. Perry, 66 Croydon Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • Why do closed-down shops always seem to have scary circus posters in the window? Despite the planning notice, this […]
Robert I. Perry

2001

Faith

Faith, 192-194 Oxford Street, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001 • Now for a few posts on the subject of faith. This conjunction of signs caught my eye every time […]
Faith

2001

Robert A. Grummitt

Robert A. Grummitt, High Street, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • Suitably resonant name for a maker, repairer and restorer of violins, bows, guitars and mandolins. Established in 1971 and still in business; […]
Robert A. Grummitt

2001

G.J. Petts

G.J. Petts, 5 Westmoreland Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE17, 2001 • Unfortunate name for a butcher. Was still there in 2015, looking even more battered.
G.J. Petts

2001

A.H. Prior

A.H. Prior, circa 6 Cleaver Street, Borough of Lambeth, London SE11, 2001 • Another ecclesiastical name, long gone. Now The Locker Room, a male sauna.
A.H. Prior

2001

Bishops Stores

Bishops Stores, 365 New King’s Road, Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, London SW6, 2001 • Nice bit of cheery acrylic signage, alongside newer coke-sponsored sign. Still there, complete with apostrophe […]
Bishops Stores

2001

St. Judes

St. Judes, 172 London Road, Mitcham, Surrey, 2001 • Quaintly-named newsie in quaintly-named Figgs Marsh. Jude – the patron saint of desperate causes – is nowadays sponsored by Lycamobile.
St. Judes

2001

James Dean Ltd

James Dean Ltd, 119 Dulwich Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SE24, 2001 • And you thought he died in a car crash. The shop’s still there, should you want an autograph.
James Dean Ltd

2001

The Drink Box

The Drink Box, 159 Camberwell New Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE5, 2001 • Looks like it’s called Off Licence, but tiny ornate handwriting reveals its true identity. It’s been […]
The Drink Box

2001

Bikeshire Racing

Bikeshire Racing, 15 New Kent Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2001 • Charmingly naive motorbike murals, long gone. A small disclaimer under “Free Fitting” reads “(to loose wheels)”. Now a block of […]
Bikeshire Racing

2001

Quality Cafe

Quality Cafe, 3 Station Road South, Merstham, Surrey, 2001 • Beautiful station cafe. It’s now been modified with pale blue tiles and orange windows, and looks really weird. There’s an incredibly […]
Quality Cafe

2001

Cranes

Cranes, 11 Thrale Road, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW16, 2001 • How marvellous, a shop dedicated almost entirely to old lady shopping trolleys. You can see it here in 2014, looking […]
Cranes

2001

Manny Thanks

Manny Thanks, 784 Fulham Road, Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London SW6, 2001 • Doubtless this is a typo, but I like to think of it as the owner’s name. It’s now […]
Manny Thanks

2001

JacLen

JacLen, 18 Dockley Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE16, 2001 • I love the typography on this DIY doorway, deep in a Dickensian Bermondsey viaduct. It’s presumably named after Jack and […]
JacLen

2001

Val del Taro Cafe

Val del Taro Cafe, 51 Camberwell New Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SE5, 2001 • Classic caff with stylish acrylic typography and a misplaced accent. Became unrecognisably carved up as […]
Val del Taro Cafe

2001

Kennington Car Hire

Kennington Car Hire, 56 Brixton Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • Another colourful business “under new management”. This appears to house a taxi firm, SSS Hair Salon, an afro-carribean […]
Kennington Car Hire

2001

D. Barnett

D. Barnett, 1 Station Approach, Chipstead Station Parade, Chipstead, Surrey CR5, 2001 • The perfect spot for emergency slipper repairs on 28th Dec (probably needed quite often in Surrey). Note ancient […]
D. Barnett

2001

Sun Hong

Sun Hong, 36 High Street, Caterham, Surrey CR3, 2001 • Pathetic tinsel, festive colours – it could only be a Chinese take away in the dog days of Christmas. The pointless […]
Sun Hong

2001

Tasty Grill

Tasty Grill, 158 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, Borough of Croydon, London CR5, 2001 • A lonely Christmas kebab lady in deepest, dullest Surrey (historically, if not technically) – the word Hopperesque springs to […]
Tasty Grill

2001

Wishes Galore

Wishes Galore, 17 Leather Lane, Borough of Camden, London EC1, 2001 • Cute typeface, but I’m not sure I’d want my wishes fulfilled here. Now a dry cleaners-cum-phone shop
Wishes Galore

2001

J.P. Wheeler

J.P. Wheeler, 55 Westway, Caterham, Surrey, 2001 • An amazing old-fashioned emporium packed with a huge range of non-printing sundries, but displaying the usual parsimonious Surrey approach to Christmas lights. Google […]
J.P. Wheeler

2001

Vogue Printers

Vogue Printers, 30 Rathbone Place, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001 • From the days when fax rolls featured proudly in window displays, an incredibly useful West End stationers with an […]
Vogue Printers

2001

Mr. Snob

Mr. Snob, 22 High Street, Banstead, Surrey SM7, 2001 • Snob refers to a superior type of cobbler (there’s a history here), rather than the good citizens of Banstead. The family business, […]
Mr. Snob

2001

Sweeny Todds

Sweeny Todds, 41 Station Road, Belmont, Sutton, Surrey, 2001 • Grisly attempt at Christmas decor from an unfortunately-named hairdresser paying homage to the “demon barber of Fleet Street” – albeit wrongly spelled. […]
Sweeny Todds

2001

Sandwich Bar Cafe

Sandwich Bar Cafe, 4-5 Hatfields, Waterloo, Borough of Lambeth, London SE1, 2001 • Fine old-school cafe with spurious tinsel and customer in festive green hat. The ruched curtains, painted ivy and […]
Sandwich Bar Cafe

2001

J.T. Snuggs

J.T. Snuggs, 50 High Street, Banstead, Surrey, 2001 • Another Snuggs – this one’s a jeweller, whose Dickensian name is complemented by Scroogeish Christmas decor. That’s mistletoe in the top left corner, […]
J.T. Snuggs

2001

Jason’s

Jason’s, 34 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, Borough of Croydon, London CR5, 2001 • More old-style wood panelling (see Chunnel Bar, yesterday). Now Pizza Night, not made with pet food I hope.
Jason’s

2001

Scampi Bar

Scampi Bar, 107 Mitcham Lane, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW16, 2001 • 1970s-style culinary sophistication, with sign reading “property of Schweppes”. Now replaced by Far East Kitchen.
Scampi Bar

2001

S. Tray Ironmonger

S. Tray Ironmonger, 249 Mitcham Lane, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW16, 2001 • Traditional ironmongers with traditional name, now long gone (it became half of Spa – note, not Spar – […]
S. Tray Ironmonger

2001

D. Morgan & Son’s

D. Morgan & Son’s, 173 Manor Place, Kennington, Borough of Southwark, London SE17, 2001 • Dairy with greengrocer’s apostrophe (unless there really was just one son), from a parade now behind […]
D. Morgan & Son’s

2001

Eddy’s Cars

Eddy’s Cars, 18 Mitcham Lane, Borough of Lambeth, London SW16, 2001 & 2002 • A fantastially ramshackle office with classic signwriting: note tiny afterthought apostrophe in name. Shown operational in 2001 […]
Eddy’s Cars

2001

A. Smith

A. Smith, 122 Southwark Bridge Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2001 • Venerable funeral parlour demolished circa 2007 and replaced with flats and offices; this corner is unrecognisable now.
A. Smith

2001

Top Joe’s

Top Joe’s, 4 Arlington Parade, Brixton Hill, Borough of Lambeth, London SW2, 2001 • Huge boasty bonkers sign whose stripy wall and backwards apostrophe brightened Brixton for decades – but no […]
Top Joe’s

2001

Sun Sun

Sun Sun, 45 High Street, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, 2001 • Sunny by name, sunny by nature. Now the very dark and doomy-looking Oriental Chef.
Sun Sun

2001

Jean

Jean, 18 High Street, Caterham, Surrey, 2001 • Sigh – shops named after their owners, selling random bits of haberdashery, are a dying (if not dead) breed.
Jean

2001

A. & I. Lask

A. &  I. Lask, 60a Brixton Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • From a stretch of road that was home to loads of ancient-looking shops, now nearly all gone.
A. & I. Lask

2001

Bargain World

Bargain World, 7 Central Parade, Central Avenue, West Molesey, Surrey, 2001 • A closed world of bargains from the heyday of chavs. Now a Chinese takeaway called Orient Express.
Bargain World

2001

R. Cooke

R. Cooke, 84 The Cut, Borough of Lambeth, London SE1, 2001 • Very popular old Waterloo caff which shut overnight “on doctor’s orders”. And I never set foot in there. Damn.
R. Cooke

2001

Capital Taxi’s

Capital Taxi’s, 28 Great Suffolk Street, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2001 & 2010 (bottom) • Ah, the greengrocer’s apostrophe. By 2012 just a patch of striped wall remained and the […]
Capital Taxi’s

2001

Battista’s

Battista’s, 135a Charing Cross Road, City of Westminster, London WC2, 2001 • An unusual sponsored Pepsi cafe sign in a Victorian display font. Whole block now demolished for Crossrail.
Battista’s

2001

Suzanne

Suzanne, 70 Brixton Road, Oval, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • It was a sad day when this 1950s dressing table-style hairdresser, with what looks like a jungle inside, became […]
Suzanne

2001

Mr Dandy

Mr Dandy, 78 Bolton Crescent, Kennington, Borough of Lambeth, London SE5, 2001 • Bonkers and brilliant old acrylic sign which is still there at time of writing.
Mr Dandy